


Before He Was Dustytuft

by Strozzapreti



Category: Guardians of Ga'Hoole - Kathryn Lasky
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26836786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strozzapreti/pseuds/Strozzapreti
Summary: We all know what happened to Phillip, the Greater Sooty Owl formerly known as Dustytuft. But what happened before he joined the Pure Ones? Before he met Nyroc?Every owl has a story. This is one of them.
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

A storm was brewing in Silverveil. 

Dark clouds rolled menacingly across the sky, blocking out the bright blue sky that had been there a few moments ago and the sun's last rays. 

It was sudden and unexpected, and the daytime animals of the forest scuttled back to the safety of their homes. The wind howled louder and louder as it shook trees to their roots. Lightning tore apart the sky, and thunder boomed loudly. 

Another flash of lightening split the sky, and for a millisecond it was as if glaumora itself was illuminated brightly. The thunderbolt zigzagged across the heavens, before hitting a tall yew tree that had stood proudly for many centuries. 

Unfortunately for the tree, its time was over. It had lived for hundreds of years and knew that sooner or later, it would have to go. But it was much more worried for the owls who nested in its branches and hollows. However, before it could think about anything else, it erupted into a magnificent burst of flames, and the tree was devoured within a minute. 

The fire quickly spread from its branches, leaping from tree to tree. The acrid smell of burning leafs and twigs filled the air. Creatures scurried across the forest floor to the Silver River to get to safety. 

Normally, the forest fire would've been stopped by the Silver River, before dying out by itself. However, this fire was different. When it reached the Silver River it was so fierce it jumped right over. It continued burning everything in its way mercilessly, like a hungry fire breathing dragon. 

As it was daytime, most of the owls were caught off guard by this. Usually forest fires never crossed the Silver River, and most of them were asleep right now. Hoots and screeches filled the burning day as they struggled to save themselves and their family members. The chaotic scene was like from Hagsmire itself. 

Finally, the fire reached an old beech tree in the Brooklets, where many owls lived, including a large family of Greater Sooty Owls. 

Every owl has a story. This is one of them.


	2. The Vole

**Phillip's POV ******

********

"But I wanted that vole!"

********

"It's your sister, Brook's First Meat ceremony, Edith, not yours," Mum replied patiently.

********

"But I called it first!" Edith kept whining, trying to snatch the vole away from Mum's beak. I sighed quietly to myself. Edith was only a few nights older than me, but I felt like she was even more immature than Brook, or even Edgar, who'd hatched a few nights before and barely could open his eyes. Then again, I was still pretty young as well. Still, I couldn't help but feel annoyed. 

********

"Shut your beak, Edi," Leonard, my older brother snapped. "You're so frinkin' annoying."

********

Edith looked a bit hurt. I secretly thought to myself that she deserved it a bit. I loved everyone in my family, including her, but this was going a bit too far. It was Brook's First Meat, not Edith's hatchday for Glaux's sake.

********

"Language, Leonard," Da barked, swatting a talon across Leonard's face, though not too hard. Da was, by no means, strict, but he disliked cursing and had what he liked to call his "standards." 

********

I had once asked him what "standards" were, and all he replied with was, "A kind of rules that make you a better owl, son."

********

"Otus - " Mum warned, giving Da a look.

********

While Da was a more meat-and-insect kind of owl, Mum had hopes and dreams. Something called aspirations. I was still pretty young at the time and didn't really understand what these big words meant though, and even now I wasn't very sure. 

********

Mum was also from a noble family of kings and queens in Silverveil. If they still had kings and queens, she'd be a princess. She didn't talk about it a lot, though Da sometimes called her one. 

********

Our large family of Greater Sooty Owls lived together in a beech tree in the Brooklets, a notable location in Silverveil. It was said that Silverveil was the closest you can get to glaumora without dying. We even had what was claimed to be the softest moss in the world, rabbit's ear moss. Right from the start, I had fallen in love with the mild weather and the lush scenery.

********

"Leonard is partly right, Da," Cecelia, the pride and joy of our family spoke up from the corner of the hollow. 

********

Cecelia was the oldest sibling of the family, and she was studying to become a Glauxian Sister. She'd learned how to read and even write a bit from Mum. Mum had even taught me the first one or two letters of my name, something called p-h.

********

"Give the vole back to Brook, Edi," Cecelia said sternly to Edith, before going back to her books. 

********

"Fine," Edith muttered, throwing the vole to Brook before turning around and crossing her wings in a pout. Mum noticed and flew over to where Edith was to comfort her. I couldn't hear what Mum was saying, and I didn't bother listening in.

********

"Glaux, Edith is soo annoying," Leonard muttered next to me. He flapped his wings around in a mock representation of his little sister. "I wanted that vole, mummy! Why can't I have it?" 

********

Behind him, Edgar made a weird churring sound even though he was probably too young to understand what was going on. Edith burst into tears behind Mum. Cecelia put down her book and was about to reprimand Leonard, but Da beat her to the punch.

********

"I've had enough, Leonard!" Da hooted, raising another talon to smack Leonard in the face. This time it would be much harder than before. I didn't know how to react, so I just stood there, cowering. Leonard had often made trouble, but not to this extent.

********

"Everybody stop!" Mum shreed, turning away from Edith who was wiping the tears from her face. "Otus, that's enough," she said, giving Da a hard look. "No need to hit him! He's your son, for Glaux's sake!"

********

For a moment, Otus looked like he was about to burst into anger, and I squeezed my eyes shut in fright. But then I heard Da's voice, this time calmer. "You're right, Lydia. 

********

"My princess," he added with a small smile. 

********

Mum smiled back, then nodded at Da, giving him a reproving glance. "Sorry, Leonard," Da said quietly, giving his son a steely look. "But I expect what just happened now will not occur in the future."

********

Mum glanced at Leonard as well. "Sorry, Edith, sorry Da," he muttered, not looking very sorry, but it seemed to satisfy Mum. 

********

"Your Da is right though," she said. "I expect better from you Leo." She turned back to Brook, who in the midst of the argument had tried to swallow the vole in one gulp. With Mum's help she managed to eat it in pieces.

********

Leonard grumbled something to himself while Edith began playing with Edgar with their owlipoppen. Cecelia went back to her studying. Leonard flew over to his part of the hollow, bored, while I turned and looked at my old owlipoppen. 

********

There had always been a neutral expression on its face - or rather, her face. I'd named her Kelsie when I had first got it from Mum. I was partly convinced that she was possessed by some kind of evil spirit, but Mum assured me it was fine. Scrooms weren't real anyways, though sometimes I'd catch Kelsie staring at me with those big doleful eyes. Not real, not real, I reminded myself. 

********

"Phillip! Come play with us!" Edith squealed from the other side of the hollow. "We're having a dance, and Theo needs another owl to do the glauc glauc with him!" 

********

"Alright," I replied, picking up Kelsie and hopping over. Now that I was older I considered myself too mature to do such things. But there was really nothing else to do anyways. No harm in playing for a little, right?

********

* * *

********

Soon it was twixt time. The sun would start creeping up behind the horizon while the moon would start to fade away.

********

"Well, it's almost First Light young'uns," Mum announced. "Time for bed. Don't forget, tomorrow is Phillip's First Flight ceremony, so he needs to rest up."

********

My gizzard swelled proudly. Leonard muttered something under his breath, but even if I heard it, I didn't care. Tomorrow I was going to fly! So far in my short life I'd only practiced branching, hopping from branch to branch. I was eager to finally be able to fly, like a full fledged owl. Mum and Da wouldn't have to call me a chick anymore.

********

"Can we have a story first, Mum?" Edith pleaded. Brook nodded eagerly, and I found myself nodding along with them. "Can we hear the one about Hoole?" I asked.

********

"But I wanted to hear the one about the Fire Cycle," Edith grumbled, but she still looked eager nonetheless.

********

"I'll tell you guys the Fire Cycle tomorrow," Mum said with a smile, before taking a deep breath and starting the legend.

********

"Once upon a time, before there were kingdoms of owls, in a time of ever-raging wars, there was an owl born in the country of the North Waters and his name was Hoole..."

********

Her voice reverberated through the hollow. Mum was an amazing storyteller, and we all knew it. 

********

"What a pile of racdrops," I heard Leonard mutter quietly so that Da couldn't hear, but I could tell he was enraptured by the legend, as all of us were. Even Cecelia, who'd heard it a thousand times already, stopped her studying to listen.

********

By the time Mum finished the Coming of Hoole, First Light had passed. Edith, Brook, and Edgar had already fallen asleep. The sun had risen up, though a few dark clouds drifted here and there. I wasn't very worried around them; as long as it didn't rain I'd still have my First Flight ceremony.

********

The last drops of the night were disappearing as the sun rose above the forest. "Good light," Mum said softly.

********

"Good light," I murmured tiredly. One by one each of the owls in the hollow drifted asleep.

********

And thus we didn't hear the crackling of the fire until it was too late.

********


	3. Alone

**Phillip's POV**

I was swooping through the forest, the moon glowing luminously, the wind blowing gently through my feathers. It was such a nice night for flying. The stars were twinkling brightly, like they were winking at me, sharing a secret only me and them knew. Another breeze threaded through my flight feathers. It sounded like it was saying something. A name? I listened intently, as the wind blew harder and stronger, until it was a roar. I felt myself spinning out of control as I heard someone whisper my name, soft at first, but louder and louder - Phillip. Phillip. PHILLIP -

I woke up with a start. Somebody was shaking me. At first I didn't notice the acrid smell or the thick blanket of gas drifting into the hollow.

"Phillip! You're finally awake!" Cecelia's sooty face hovered over me.

"Cece, I need to get some more rest for my First Flight tonight," I complained, annoyed that she had woken me up so early. It wasn't even First Lavender yet; I could still see the bright rays of the sun shining into the cracks of our hollow. But I could also see something else. 

"W-what happened?" I stammered, my annoyed tone now worried. I hopped off my perch, and noticed something seeping into the hollow, like a storm cloud, but it wasn't exactly a storm cloud. The mood in the hollow was tense, as screeches and hoots were heard in the distance and a pungent smell filled the hollow.

"There's a forest fire," Cece briefly explained. Behind her, Mum was trying to calm down Edgar and Brook, who'd began crying. 

"A f-fire?" I faltered. A new word to add to my vocabulary list. But it had some kind of ominous meaning to it, like 'shadow', or maybe 'moon'. However, I was still too young to really understand it.

"It's - " I had rarely ever seen Cece hesitate, and when she did, it usually wasn't good. "A fire is the effect of the process of combustion, when fuel reacts with oxygen." That was all she said before my head started to hurt. From the information or the smoke I didn't know.

"But what's that... silvery thing?" I asked, pointing a talon towards the thin layer of clouds drifting into the hollow.

"Smoke. A side effect of the fire..." Cecelia answered quickly. I opened my beak to ask another question, but this time it wasn't me who said something.

"B-but what's a frinking fire doing so far past the Silver River?" Leonard's voice came from behind me. 

Cecelia opened her beak to reply again, but Da interrupted. "No time for anymore questions! Let's get out of here, now!" He hopped over to where Cece's books and manuscripts were, starting to help her pack up. 

Mum was to carry Edgar while Leonard was to carry Brook, because they were the youngest and didn't know how to fly yet. As for me... I shook the thought out of my head. I could fly, I just had never tried it before yet.

"Why do I have to carry Brook?" Leonard whined, in almost the exact same way Edith had last night.

"Shut your beak, Leonard!" Da exploded. "Just do what I tell you to do for once, okay? Do you want Brook to die? She can't even fly yet!" He gave Leonard a glare before turning back to help Cecelia pack up her things.

Leonard opened his beak to say something, before closing it and hopping over to where Brook was. He said something quietly to her and she calmed down a little bit, but there were still tears in her eyes. 

The smoke was pouring in faster now, the thick plume drifting around the hollow almost lazily. My throat felt scratchy and I coughed a few times, yarping up a pathetic pellet.

"Cecelia, we have to go..." Surprisingly, it was Leonard who spoke. It was quiet but firm. But this time it was in a completely different tone than before. I could hear genuine fear in his voice. Fear. If we didn't leave now, all that might be left us would be charred bones and burnt feathers. 

Cece swiveled her head towards Leonard, her eyes moist. "You don't understand, this is my entire life's w-work..." she gulped out.

"Cece, Leonard's right." This time it was Mum who spoke. Despite everything that was going on, she was still calm. That was something I admired about her. "We need to leave." Her voice softened. "We can always get more books, but we only have one chance to live. We won't leave without you."

I knew Cecelia was a sensible owl and she wouldn't sacrifice her family for a few books. She nodded, before grabbing a few of her most precious books and putting it in her botkin.

"Let's go," she said briefly, grabbing the handles of her botkin before taking off with a power thrust.

"Remember, we're meeting at the Silver River," Da called loudly. "If somebody is split off from the group or gets lost, just remember, the Silver River."

Mum nodded. She cradled Edgar in her talons before flapping her wings and taking off, followed by Brook in Leonard's talons. 

Edith had recently gone through her First Flight a few nights ago, but she still was shaking nonetheless.

"You can do this, Edi," Da said encouragingly, giving me a knowing look. Edith whimpered a bit but spread her wings as the smoke poured into the hollow. With a few flaps, she was off the ground and after the others.

Da now turned to me. We were now the only two left in the hollow. "Phillip, remember those branching lessons?" I quickly nodded in response, not wanting to open my beak as I was afraid to start coughing again.

"Alright. You've seen the older owls do it. Fly, son, fly." Da looked at me firmly. "Nobody but you can do it. Trust your gizzard."

I hesitated for a moment. Nobody but me... Only I could fly. Only I could do this. 

I flapped my stubby wings, a jolt going through my gizzard when I rose up. "That's it! Keep going!" Da shouted, starting to fly after me. "Think of this as... a special First Flight ceremony."

Finally, I made it out of the hollow. I flinched as I began to fall, but a gust of air lifted me up into the sky, which was now dark and stormy. The smoke was so thick outside that it stung my eyes and throat. I coughed a few times, but I never stopped flapping. Screeches and shouts fell deaf to my ear slits, and I could only think of my wings pumping up and down, the wind whooshing past my facial disc feathers. It felt so good, and for a split second I couldn't believe I was doing it. It was just like my dream, but this time it was real, and for a hot second I closed my eyes and savored the sweet moment. 

I opened my eyes again and my gizzard swelled with pride; I was really flying! I twisted my head back to see the proud expression on Da's face - only, he wasn't there. He had been there a second ago, flying right behind me, but now he was gone.

I squinted forward through the suffocating smoke but I could barely see anything. My gizzard gave a dull throb that I ignored, but panic rose as I looked around for the rest of my family. But the smoke was so dense that it was like flying blind. My transparent eyelid kept having to sweep away the dust and grime. It was impossible to see anything but smoke, smoke, and more smoke.

The rest of my family was also gone. 

Gone. 

I was all alone, in the midst of a burning forest, all by myself.

That was when I started to go yeep.


End file.
